The Luxury Hotel Insider: Exclusive luxury hotel deals, features and special rates from the luxury hotel experts at Five Star Alliance.

Named one of Tripbase's Best Luxury Travel Blogs for 2011, below are Five Star Alliance's newest articles featuring exclusive information on luxury hotels worldwide including special offers and deals at the world's best hotels.

Nestling in the natural beauty of the wilds, The Oberoi Vanyavilas is India’s leading luxury jungle resort on the edge of the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. The perfect base from which to explore the territory of the majestic tiger. Tiger sightings are most frequent during the months of May and June.

Rambagh Palace was built in 1835 for the queen's favorite handmaiden Kesar Badaran. It was later a royal guesthouse and hunting lodge, and in 1925 was converted into a palace for the Maharaja of Jaipur. In 1957 it was turned into a luxury hotel by Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II.

Raj Palace was made for royalty. A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the palatial luxury hotel has architecture that's not only stunningly beautiful, but also designed with a purpose. The Raj Palace was formerly a Maharaja’s palace built in 1727 and was named World's Best Heritage hotel in 2011 by World Travel Awards.

The Indian nobility's belief in their divine right to power manifested itself in the planning of palaces. The palace was designed following architectural guidelines described in ancient Indian texts known as the Vastushastras some of which are more than fifteen hundred years old and was meant to be a physical and spiritual microcosm of the universe. The central courtyard of a palace was said to be the building's most powerful point, and always contained a representation of a prominent deity. Views of the courtyard and deity could thus be enjoyed from each of the palace's residential quarters.

Extremely preoccupied with palace security, Maharajas would also build fortified walls and gateways around their residences. These heavily guarded structures were architectural marvels in themselves, mammoth in size and wrought with complex geometric designs that communicated the authority of the royal family.

The secret tunnels and doorways that abounded in Indian palaces allowed Maharajas easy access to their queens' quarters and provided them with quick getaways from public reception halls. More importantly, these clandestine passageways were a precaution against assassination plots and enabled a king and his entourage to slip in and out unnoticed.

In 1995, Princess Jayendra Kumari Ji decided to restore this luxurious palace into the finest luxury Palace hotel. The Royal family renovated the arched corridors, the residential quarters and its courtyards with small amplifications, Best services were added like Handicap access etc. Museum suites were created which have the finest Royal antiques giving the property the honor of being first museum suite palace hotel of the world as the suites have their private museum. The specially designed frescoes deciphered with the finest mirror and hand painted work and rare palace furniture , Large crystal chandeliers leave you adorned with an astonishing fantasy. The elegance personified and the renowned hospitality is served in its 40 well-appointed rooms and beautiful venues with extreme intimacy and caring personal service in the reborn Raj Palace.

A stay at The Raj Palace Hotel will leave you doused in luxurious elegance. This royal Indian palace turned hotel held the title of “World’s Leading Heritage Hotel” by the World Travel Awards consecutively from 2007 to 2011, so guests should not expect anything less than the royal treatment when visiting this opulent palace. The Raj Palace Hotel is home to one of the most luxurious hotel suites in the world, with their presidential suite priced at a jaw-dropping $45,000 USD a night. The room used to belong to a former Maharaja, and is one of the biggest suites in Asia. However, with high costs come high expectations which the Raj Palace Hotel fully delivers on. This four floor palatial suite comes complete with gold and ivory absolutely everywhere. If the design elements alone do not speak to its royal past, then maybe the historical artifacts inside a private museum located inside the suite would. Guests are pampered with top notch five star service and privacy, as a private roof terrace and swimming pool with breathtaking views of the city of Jaipur.